Lara Saint Paul was born in Asmara, March 31, 1945, passed away May 8, 2018 in Casalecchio di Reno, Bologna. As a small child she moved to Italy where she was brought up as a delicate yet idealistic and passionate girl. Lara studied singing under the guidance of a teacher who had performed at the Scala di Milano, Prof. Tina Brini. Lara made Italy her new home. It was the magic land of the Condottieri of the Renaissance and Fellini, a land rich in temperament and lyricism.
She longed for music from the beginning. As a girl, curious about music, Lara was spending enchanted hours listening to the magnificence of gospels and spirituals; she was populating her room with the majestic shadows of Mahalia Jackson, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
At sixteen, Lara went to the Sanremo Festival, the mecca of the Italian song. She was immediately recognized as an emerging talent. Success came in 1967 when she changed her record company and started singing under the flag of manager-industrialist Pier Quinto Cariaggi, soon to become her Pygmalion and her husband.
In 1968 Lara made a triumphant comeback to Sanremo, singing a duet with Louis Armstrong who said of her, She is one of the most talented singers I ever met in all my life.
Lara began singing all over Europe and in the United States. In 1968 Pope John Paul IV met Lara with Louis Armstrong and Lionel Hampton. In Los Angeles she sang with Bill Conti, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Henry Mancini and Robert Flack. She was produced by Quincy Jones and Leon Ware, was awarded gold records in Europe and awards at the International Music Festival in Tokyo. In the 1980s she started many non-musical activities: journalism, fashion design and launching aerobic dancing in Italy with major success.
In 1992 it was back to music, with the hit Lara Superspecial broadcast in 19 countries, including Italy. It featured guests like Frank Sinatra, Luciano Pavarotti, Liza Minnelli and Harry Belafonte. Lara hosted the Inaugural Gala of the prestigious Sporting Club of Monte Carlo. Recently, she opened the new year of 2000 with a concert at the Casino di Campione.
What lies ahead for Lara Saint Paul the producer, actress, and show woman? Lara’s goal is to follow along the creative path she took with her husband, Pier Quinto Cariaggi, and her passion is to continue creating art in all its forms, enriching the world with her gift for entertainment. Lara has also just finished an all new album, recorded in Hollywood, to be released as This Is My Life. The album is now being remixed in Switzerland and Italy, where Lara lives. Lara has recently started designing a new line of baby and toddler clothes.
One of her two daughters, Guendalina, attempted a music career as Guenda-K.